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E. CRAIG. BOX TOP SIAPLER.

APPHCATION FI LED APR. l5| 1918.

Patented Dec. 23,1919.

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EDWARD "URAIG, OF ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN.

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v tpcciflcatlon of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 23, 19199.

Application filed April 15, 1918. Serial Ito. 228,555.

' To all whom it may concern:

all

hilt

Be it known thatl, EDWARD CRAIG, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of St. Joseph, county of Berrien, and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Box- Top Staplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stapling machines for stapling together the flaps or thicknesses of the top of a box of that kind in which the upper end of the box has a restricted mouth or opening through which an element of the staplin machine, such as the anvil or clench-block t ereof, must be in serted in order to perform the stapling operation by which the various thicknesses or flaps of. the top aresecured together.

Generally stated, the object of the inven tion is to provide a novel and improved stapling machine of the foregoing general character.

llt is alse an object to provide an improved construction-and arrangement whereby the anvil or clench-block of the stapling machine may be moved into position to facil itate the adjustment of the box thereon, or preliminary to the stapling operation, and whereby the box will be firmly and rigidly supported durin such operation.

It is also an ohject to provide certain details and combinations tending to increase the general efliciency and desirability of a box-top-stapler of this particular construc tion.

To these and other useful ends, the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Tn the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a box-topstapler embodying the principles of the invention, showing a box in position to be sta led.

ig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 22 in Flg. Ill.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a clench-block or anvil and the supporting arm therefor, showing a difl'erent form of the invention.

As thus illustrated, the invention oornprises a body having a base 1, an upright portion 2, and a forwardly extending arm 3 at the top thereof. Said arm, 3 has its front end provided with a stapling mechanism A of any suitable, known or approved character, operated by a pulley 5 through the medium of a shaft 6 connected thereto.

. crank 10, and another rod 11,

the outer end The driving power is controlled by a clutch 7, of any suitable known or 2. proved char acter, and this clutch is contro led by a foot lever 8 through the medium of a rod 9, a bellwhereby the operation of the staplingmechanism can be started and stopped at will.

To support the box in position to receive the staples, the arm 3 is preferably provided with a depending boss 12, said boss being bored vertically to receive the upright stem portion 18 of the supporting arm 1% upon of which the anvil or clenchblock is mounted.- lln this way, the arm 14: is swiveled to turn about a horizontat axis, to facilitate the adjustment of the box thereon. The arm 14: can be swung outward in any suitable or desired manner, but as a matter of further and special improvement, the stem 13 is provided with a laterally ex tending arm 16 to which is connected a rod 17, which rod is in turn connected with a bell-crank 18 pivoted on the side of the body of the machine. A rod 19 connects the bellcrank 18 with another bell-crank 20 pivoted on the side of said body, and a rod 21 connects this bell-crank 20 with the foot-pedal 22 pivoted on the front end of the base of the body. With this arrangement, downward pressure on the foot-pedal 22 will exert a pull on the rod 17, and this arm 14 around into position approximately at right angles to the arm 3, so that the box can be easily adjusted thereon.

The'box itself, of course, may be of any suitable character. For example, it may comprise side walls 23 and a top 2 1, said top being composed of two or more thicknesses and provided with a central opening 25 which forms the restricted mouth or opening for the top or upper end of the box. The arm 14 is of a length and shape to be inserted through the opening 25, and the thicknesses of the top of the box are then stapled together by staples inserted through these flaps or thicknesses and clenched upon the anvil or clench-block 15, the staples being located or driven wherever necessary or desirable. Any suitable means, such as a spring 26 applied to the rod 19, can be employed for returning the arm 14, and also the pedal 22 and its connections with said arm, tonormal positions after the pedal is released. The upper end of the arm 13 can be provided with a removable nut 27, to detachably hold it in place, and the arm 13,

will swing the lllld lllltr which is hollow, so that said nut 27 is inclosed, may have its upper side provided with a removable cover 28, affording access to said nut. The stem 13 may be provided with a collar or shoulder 29 which bears against the underside or lower end of the boss 12, so that when the nut 27 istightened the arm 1a willbe drawn u ward to a certain definite height, where y the clenchblock 15 will be properly supported in position to receive the staples.

As shown in Fig. 3, the anvil 15 is mounted on thearm 30 which swings on the pivot 31, which latter is in the form of a screw adapted to be inserted in the bottom of the boss 12, whereby the arm 30 and its anvil 15 will swing about a vertical .axis. With this arrangement, the arm 30 can be removed by simply detaching the screw 31 from the boss 12, instead of by first removing the cover 28 and then unscrewing the nut 27, as is necessary with the construction shown in Fig. 1. It will be understood, of

- course,that the head portion 32 of the arm is provided with a lateral arm, similar to the arm 16, so that the arm 30 can be controlled by the foot-pedal 22 through the medium of the rods andbell-cranks, in the manner previously described.

The swinging movements of the arm 14,

or of the arm 30, about the vertical axis provided by the swivel can be limited in any suitable or desired manner. The collar.

or shoulder 29 may have a top lug 33 which moves back and forth in the slot 34 formed in one side of the lower end of the boss 12, said slot being of a length to properly limit the swinging movements of the arm 14,

whereby thisarm will-have its return moveunderstood.

ment under the influence of the spring 26 limited in such a manner that the clenchblock or anvil '15, when the foot-pedal 22 is released, will be accurately-positioned below the stapler. For thesame purpose, it

will be understood that the upper end of the headportion 32 of the'arm30 can be provided with a lug similar to the lug 33 to move back and forth in the slot34, thereby to limit the swinging movements of the a'rmr30 in a manner-that It will be understood, oficourse, that the box can be manipulated in any suitable manner to properly receive the staples. As

shown, and after the box is inserted in position, with a portion of the top 24 thereof resting on the anvil 15, the box can then be rotated about a vertical axis to brin different portions of the to into positlon to properly receive the stapes. For this purpose, of course, the means for supporting the anvil 15, such as the arms 14 and 30 shown and described, are adapted to enter the restricted mouth or to of the box, and to then permit rotation o the box about a will'be readily asea'zeo vertical axisto successfully bring difierent portions of the top into position to receive the staples.

17 extends, horizontally across the top of the box, and the operator may manipulate thebo'x in such a manner that the rear portion of the top 24 will always .bear upwardly against-this rod 17, thus insuring a level condition of the top of the box during each stapling operation.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a stapling machine, an upright support, a forwardly extending stationary arm at the upper end of said support, a stapler mounted on the end of'sai'd arm, an anvil below said stapler, and means depending from said stationary arm to support said anvil, said means being adapted to enter the restricted mouth or openin in the top of. a box to bring said anvil be ow the su erimposed thicknesses of which the top of t e box is composed, so that one or more staples can be inserted in thetop of the box.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said means comprising anarm upon which said anvil is mounted and-which is swiveled to swing about a vertical axis.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, and means for moving said. anvil into and out of position below the stapler.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1, said means comprising a support upon which said anvil is mounted and which is movable about a vertical axis, in combination with a foot-pedal suitably connected for control ling said support to move said anvil into and out of position below the stapler.

V -5. A structure as specified in claim 1, said I means comprising an arm swiveled to swing Furthermore, it will-be seenthat the rod v 6. In; "a stapling machine, the combination of a support,-a stapler mounted on said supgort,"an anvil below said stapler, and means epending from said support to carry said anvil, said means being adapted to enter the restricted mouth or opening in the top of a box, so that one or more staples may be inserted inthe material forming the top of the box, said means being adapted to permit rotation of the box about a vertical axis to bring di'fi'erent portions of the top thereof into position to properly receive the staples.

7. A structure as specified in claim 6, and

means including a horizontally disposed rod for swinging said anvil about a vertical axis said rod being adapted to engage the top oi ;the box during the sta lin o eration.

Signed by me at St. o'sep 14thday of March, 1918.

- EDWARD CRAIG.

ichigan, this 

